Indicated on the labels by TiO2 or E171, this white powder is mainly used as a colorant to whiten or intensify the shine of confectionery, pastries or ready meals.
France is renewing in 2022 the ban on the use of this controversial additive, titanium dioxide, in foodstuffs, a ban which must be effective throughout the EU during the year, according to a decree published this Friday in the Official Journal.
This substance containing nanoparticles - less than 100 nanometers in size facilitating their penetration into the body - was banned from French plates for the first time in January 2020.
This ban should become permanent during 2022. At the beginning of October, the Twenty-Seven gave the green light to ban titanium dioxide in food at the EU level, after a questioning of its security by the regulator European.
The ban does not apply to drugs and cosmetics
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers that E171 can no longer be considered "safe" as a food additive.
EFSA considered that it could not exclude the “genotoxicity” of the component, that is to say its ability to damage DNA, the genetic material of cells.
"After oral ingestion, absorption of titanium dioxide particles is low, but they can accumulate in the body," according to EFSA.
Read also Food safety: distrust of titanium dioxide (E171), very present in sweets
The European ban is due to come into force in early 2022, with a six-month transition period.
"During this period and in order to ensure that foodstuffs containing titanium dioxide as an additive are not placed on the French market again, the suspension measure is maintained in 2022", it is explained in the notice of the decree published on Friday by France.
The ban does not apply to drugs and cosmetics.
